The field of the invention relates generally to validation of wind turbine operation and, more particularly, to acquiring data captured by a control system of a wind turbine.
Wind turbines utilize wind energy to generate or produce electrical power. Wind turbines typically include a controller, which is responsible for monitoring and adjusting various aspects of wind turbine operation.
Like any mechanical device, a wind turbine may eventually malfunction. When this occurs, the operator generally wishes to return the wind turbine to a normal state as soon as possible. However, quickly correcting a malfunction can pose a challenge to the operator because diagnosis often requires access to data collected and managed by the wind turbine controller. Some controllers provide for remote access to this data via an interactive command interface. The remote operator must enter very specific commands to retrieve data and then save the retrieved data such that the retrieved data can be transmitted to a support specialist for evaluation. Further, command syntax may vary based on the software or a version of the software installed on the controller. This manual process may introduce delay and a risk of operator error, especially when performed by an operator with little technical expertise.